(Aug 22, 2015) The Great Wall is well named. When all its branches are factored in it stretches 13,170 miles. That’s a lot of wall. It was built, ignored, rebuilt, and re-ignored over a parade of centuries and dynasties. More … read more

(Aug 16, 2015) 10 observations (which might be inaccurate). 1. The vast majority of the taxis run on natural gas. 2. The method of tracking foreigners movements is clever. When you check in to a hotel it is entered into … read more

(Aug 18, 2015) Staying in the yurt of a kazak family for a few days. Formally nomads now settled in a village by order of the government. The yurt on the ridges above Tianchi lake. A stunning body of water … read more

Xihte (pronounced She a hey) (Aug 11,2015) An entire region bottled into a town. Temples and Han Chinese to the southern blocks. Central, Muslims and their minarets. And to the north Tibetans and their grand Labrang monastery. Home to 3000 … read more

(Aug 11, 2015) The road was a mess. The bus’s suspension worse. Every pothole powdered my spine. Of course Fumiko slept on. Her head pivoting to wherever gravity took it. Most everyone else was conscious. The groans from the wounded … read more

We find ourselves in Langmusi, a town of high elevation. I have promises to keep. With Fumiko a horse ride is a request on repeat. My capitulation early. “Liyi I understand you have horses”. “Yes.” “My daughter and I would … read more

Hurtling down the silk road on the way to Zhangye from Wuwei. To the right endless fields of sunflowers,. The seed, not the florist variety. To the left mile after mile of the Great Wall. Not the postcard wall, but … read more